Spotlight

Among the topics: how to identify the "big ideas" worth exploring and personalize them; how to do 360-degree recording and handle pre-production, production and post-production; and how to share the film "with the world" and assess its impact. There's also an educator resource on integrating video production into the curriculum.

Binge-watching leads to poorer sleep, less family time in front of the TV and even less enjoyment of the content. But at the same time could it also generate better learning outcomes and higher completion rates?

News

Time, planning and support from schools and districts and ongoing professional development are key to getting the most of new technologies and tools introduced to the classroom, according to a new report from the Foundation for Blended and Online Learning.

The traditional PC market (which includes notebooks, desktops and workstations) in the United States saw shipments of 16.6 million units, with notebook sales dropping noticeably and desktops outperforming forecasts.

Upcoming K–12 Grants

Sponsor: Toshiba America Foundation
Award: Two categories: Up to $5,000 and more than $5,000
Number of Awards: Not specified
Application Deadline: Up to $5,000 awarded on a rolling basis; Nov. 1 deadline for applications for more than $5,000

Sponsor: SparkFun
Award: STEM/STEAM-releated prize packages, event and team sponsorships and other types of support
Number of Awards: Varies
Application Deadline: Ongoin: third Thursday of each month; awards announced on the last business day of each month

Deadline: Ongoing
Award: No more than 10 percent of an organization's annual operating expenses or 25 percent of the total budget for the project being funded; awards have ranged from the hundreds to the millions of dollars.
Number of Awards: Varies
Qualification: Project should "directly serve or impact children living in urban poverty, particularly in the areas of education, family economic stability (including microfinance) and childhood health."

Professional Resources

IMMERSE K-12 spotlights some of the most transformative technologies emerging on the education scene - augmented and virtual reality, wearables and mobile devices. IMMERSE K-12 keeps educators, administrators and K-12 tech leaders up to date on these technologies that not only enable immersive educational experiences for students, but encourage them to continue learning beyond the classroom. IMMERSE K-12 is published weekly.

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